An official certificate of every birth should be on file in the locality where the event occurred. The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records. These records are filed permanently in a State vital statistics office or in a city, county, or other local office.

To obtain a certified copy of any of the certificates, write or go to the vital statistics office in the State or area where the event occurred. For information on how and where to apply directly please visit Where To Write For Vital Records or for expedited services you can use VitalChek's express certificate ordering service.



The following documents are NOT ACCEPTABLE for passport applications:

• Notarized photocopies of Birth Certificates
• Hospital birth records or certificates

NOTE: Applicants born in California MUST submit a Long Form Birth Certificate. Short Form or abstract Birth Certificates are NOT ACCEPATBLE.

All originals will be returned to applicants with the new passport

If you do not have a Birth Certificate click here for more information